


Stitches

by Rookmoon



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Bay Movies), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - All Media Types
Genre: Because I love soft things, Budding Love, Cute, F/M, Fluff, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Knitting, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Pictures, Scarves, Soft things are the best things, everyone ships it, soft moments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-06-21 08:30:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,498
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15553725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rookmoon/pseuds/Rookmoon
Summary: Not the kind usually associated with our boy Raph over here.





	Stitches

     Whoever said that knitting is only for old ladies is a chump. Obviously. I’ve gotten plenty of strange looks over my needles, and I’m so sick of it. Yes, I know that it’s true that knitting is generally something people see old ladies doing while they watch dusty old shows. Like all generalizations, that’s not entirely true. Not that people would wait before telling me that I’m an ‘old soul’ or that I’m too young to be knitting. Whatever. They’re missing out on more than just warm gifts from me.

     I tromp into the lair with my usual fanfare. Greeting the guys and Splinter before settling on the couch and digging in my bag for my project. I wind the familiar yarn around my fingers. The steady click of needles is relaxing, and I allow myself into a trance to the rhythmic sound of my own work. I start zoning and I don’t notice Mikey walk past, and plop onto the couch next to me, watching the hypnotic way my fingers move yarn over needles. He leans against me, and I snuggle into the couch, letting him lay on me. We don’t say anything. It’s one of those warm comfortable silences that you wish wouldn’t ever end but always has to eventually.

     Raph comes out of his room and sees me and Mikey on the couch. He smiles, before going back to grab something wrapped in fabric. He settles on my other side, and I’m just a little surprised to see him unwind a long scarf that looks like it’s almost done. Raph smirks at me before he starts his own knitting. The sound of our needles creating a steady tandem of soothing sound.

     I’ve known the guys for a while, and I had no idea that Raphael of all people knew how to knit. I’ve come down here so often that I thought I knew at least most of their quirks, but I guess that’s why Raph didn’t let me know sooner. It kind of clashes with his whole tough guy routine. I don’t mind it, but it’s still interesting. Who taught him how to knit in the first place?

     I adjust my project, pausing to watch the way Raphael holds the yarn. It looks a lot like mine, but a bit different just because he has three fingers instead of five. He looks strangely peaceful with needles in his hands and yarn draped over him. He glances at me, and I realize that my part of the silence had gone on longer than I had intended. I don’t bother continuing just yet. I take a deep breath as I watch his fingers dance over the yarn, quickly sliding the stitches to the other needle. I’ve been staring for too long. I realize that the peace of this moment had put Mikey to sleep with his head lolling on my shoulder. I hope he doesn’t drool in his sleep. I toss the end of my project on his face. All I get in response is a soft snore. I pick up my needles and keep going, watching Raph out of the corner of my eye.

     These turtles are so good at surprising me. There’s always more to know about them. Right now is proof of that. I thought that I’d learned everything there is to know about Raphael, but then he shows me something new. I tear my eyes away from his hands and to my own. I consider the question that’s kept me up lately. Should I tell him that I think of him as more than a friend, or should I leave things be? My thoughts wander to the way he puffs himself up when his brothers tease him, or the way he smiles when he thinks no one is looking. Hell, even when he gives me that satisfied smirk is just too good. It’s not easy to see, but Raph is really just a big softie on the inside. Mikey said as much once when we were all watching movies. He had gotten a smack upside the head for it, but Mikey isn’t wrong here.

     Raph does it on purpose. I think just about everyone except Casey knows that his whole tough guy shtick isn’t all of who he is. I wonder what it would be like if he was willing to be like this more often. Just quietly knitting next to me. I like it when he’s like this. A girl could get used to some peace around here.

     I look at my hands and focus on the yarn. Both to help me think and to try and keep my attention away from the way Mikey burrows into my shoulder, pushing me just enough to squish me against his brother.

     I try to turn my mind away from how Raphs skin feels on me. I can’t think of that right now. What else is there? Oh, yeah. Now I know why I saw April leave a bag of yarn down here a couple of weeks ago. It was for Raph. Yarn isn’t exactly easy to come by when you’re a giant turtle living in the sewers and doing vigilante work for a city that, for the most part, doesn’t know you exist.

     That’s another thing I love about Raph. He’s so selfless when he wants to be. He’s willing to set his own fears aside in order to help others. All the guys are like that. They care so much about other people, even if the people above would shun them for existing. They shouldn’t have to hide, but I can understand why they keep to the shadows. Different isn’t always good these days. Humanity is still having trouble accepting other humans, let alone mutants. That wouldn’t go well at all. Shit, I’m rambling again.

     Either way, that boy is the shelled enigma that I can’t seem to be able to read, in spite of him wearing most of his emotions on his wrist wraps.

     His likes are so distinctly masculine that it completely threw me for a loop when he sat down next to me and started knitting. I wonder if it has the same benefits for him as it does for me. Helping him calm down and relax. Does Raph ever just relax and enjoy himself?

     I sneak a glance at him. He huffs a laugh to himself. I’m not as sneaky as I think I am, but I can’t get those questions out of my mind. I keep asking myself if I’m ever going to ask him about how he feels. When am I going to stop being so scared and just do it? What if things get awkward and I’m not comfortable down here anymore? What will I do then?

     I try to shake the irritating loop of thoughts from my head and start on the other side of my project that’s still draped over Mikey’s head. I ignore the heat in my face and focus on the task at hand. I know that Raph is watching me. His hands are still moving and I start knitting again. I let my mind wander as I work up a steady pace. If Mikey gets any more cuddly, it’ll be too warm for me to keep knitting. I shift away from Mikey a little bit, letting some of the air in the lair cool me down. A hand carefully pushes Mikey’s head and he snores, no longer laying on me. Instead, he lands on the couch and curls up on the soft cushions to snooze in peace. I sigh as the cool air hits my warm skin. I’m still pressed against Raph. I scoot back to where I was before. He doesn’t seem to mind either way.

     I adjust the project again and continue knitting. I could do this for hours. It’s good to have someone to knit with that isn’t forty years older than me for once. Even if that someone is a talking turtle who’s being suspiciously quiet right now.

     Time sneaks past me as my scarf steadily grows. I wrap it around myself as I work. It’s going to be long, and I don’t want it dragging around on the ground before I can finish it. Raph sets his knitting to the side as he gets up to stretch. He strolls over to Donnie, who’s working on something in his usual work space. They quietly talk for a while before Raph comes back and sits back down next to me.

     I try to push my curiosity to the side by telling myself that what he talks about with his brother is none of my business, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to ask. If he wants to tell me, he’ll say something. He continues his knitting as Donnie’s drone buzzes past and into the kitchen. I guess it’s about time for another soda. Donnie keeps his favorite kind hidden away so that it’s harder for Mikey to get into. The device pauses, turning towards me and Raph for a few seconds before going back to its owner. I ignore it, and keep working.

     Hours pass, and Raph is still knitting next to me. He had tossed the end of the scarf over his shoulder to avoid it piling up on his lap. I yawn, knowing that it’s probably well after dark by now. My eyes grow heavy and my knitting slows until the needles are resting on my lap. It’s been a long day, and I don’t want anything but a nice long nap. It’s hard to fight sleep when I’m this warm and comfortable. Maybe I should just let it happen. I close my eyes, and lay my head back. The steady clicking of his needles lulling me into comfortable sleep.

     When I wake up, I find that Mikey is nowhere to be seen, and I’m laying on Raph’s arm. I know that I didn’t fall asleep like this. I consider finding somewhere else to sleep before deciding that I don’t care. It’s comfy here anyways, and if Raph minded, he wouldn’t be here. The guys will probably tease me for it later, but it’s too comfortable here to sleep anywhere else. I turn to face Raph and scoot a little closer. His soft snores are so cute. I smile, happy that I got to see him in such a good mood before I drift into the best sleep of my life.

     When I wake up, I find several pictures of us knitting and cuddling in my backpack. There’s one on the bottom that looks like Raph pulling me close to him. His arms around me and a soft look on his face. Another one looks like he’s kissing me on the forehead. That answers all the questions I’ve had about his feelings towards me. He likes me back. I’ll have to show him these pictures.

     I don’t wonder where they came from for long. Mikey’s got a camera, and Donnie is more than willing to humor his little brother when it comes to things like this. Now I know why Donnie’s drone was looking at me the night before. That punk was taking pictures. Did he and Mikey set this up before hand? Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past them. Those two are a force to be reckoned with.

     When I go home, I take my time to get things in order for the week ahead. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done, and no one else is gonna do it. Might as well get it done now.

     A few days later, my phone goes off with that little chime I have set for the guys. It’s Mikey wanting me to come back to the lair. He says he’s got something he needs to show me in person. If that isn’t strange enough, he asks me to bring my knitting with me. I have a feeling that he’s not the only one who might want to talk to me. I’ve been getting radio silence since our knitting night a few days ago. It’s a little odd, but I tried not to think too far into it. I don’t want any part of that rabbit hole. Nope. Totally didn’t spend the last few days wondering if I did something wrong.

     I still pack my bag and head down to the lair.

     By the time I get there, Raph is sitting on the couch, alone. His brothers are nowhere to be seen. He’s knitting again. I can hear the clicking wood from here. He doesn’t look when I sit on the couch next to him, just about where I was the other night.

     His clicking pauses for half a second before he keeps going. He’s not working on the scarf today. Neither am I. I’m starting on a pair of socks. I’m not sure how big they need to be, but I’m hoping to guess some of the sizes for the guys. I want them to have warm things for their feet before it gets cold again.

     Raph is making something with heavy red yarn. It just looks like a loop so far. He sighs, still working.

     We settle into the familiar rhythm. Click, shk, shk. Click, shk, shk. I’m almost zoned out again when Raph clears his throat.

     “So, I found somethin’ interestin’ the other day.”

     “Like what?” I blink, looking up at him while my hands keep moving.

     “Some pictures.”

     I set my needles down to dig into my bag, where the pictures I found still rest. “Do they look like these?”

     “... yeah.” Raph freezes. “How did you get those? They should be in my room.”

     “You keep these in your room?” I flick through them, lingering on the one where he’s snuggling into me and pressing a kiss to my forehead.

     “Where else would I keep ‘em?”

     “Fair point.”

     “What do you think of ‘em?” Raph sounds tense, like he’s trying to be casual and failing. Like he knows that every word matters.

     “They’re really good pictures. I think this one is my favorite.” It’s the one on the bottom. Where I’m just about laying on Raph. I’ve got his scarf draped around me, my own not quite finished project laying on the couch next to the both of us. A content smile rests on Raphael’s face.

     Raph smiles to himself. I smile at him before resuming my own knitting. A few minutes of silence pass before I speak again.

     “Hey, Raph?”

     “Hmm?”

     “I’ve really liked you for a while now.”

     “Uh-huh.” He stops, and turns to look at me with those wonderful green eyes of his. “Wait, what?”

     I nod, not looking at him.. “You heard me. I like you. I’d like to date, if you’re okay with it.”

     Raph just nods. I’m busy staring at my hands, so I don’t see it. I also miss the wide, almost goofy, grin spreading on his face.

     “Yeah, I’d really like that.”

**Author's Note:**

> This is completely and entirely self indulgent fluff, but I still want to know what you think.


End file.
